“I don’t have much”. Rudy Beck and Jay Lenox of Beck, Lenox & Stolzer Estate Planning and Elder Law, LLC, LLC, often hear that at seminars they conduct. The Legal Reader’s recent article entitled “The Importance of Estate Planning” explains that estate planning is not just for the rich.
If you don’t have a comprehensive plan, it could mean headaches for your family left to manage things after you die, and it can be expensive and have long-lasting impact.
Here are four reasons why estate planning is critical, and why you need the help of an experienced estate planning attorney.
Beneficiaries. Middle-class families must plan in the event something happens to the bread earner. You might be only leaving behind one second home, but if you don’t decide who is to receive it, things might become complicated. Your main goal should be to allocate assets to the heirs you choose. If you have no estate plan when you die, the court decides who gets the assets.
Protection for minor children. If you have small children, you must prepare for the worst. To be certain that your children receive proper care if they are orphaned, you must name their guardians in your last will. If you don’t, the court will do it!
It can save on taxes. Protect your loved ones from the IRS. A critical aspect is the process of transferring assets to the heirs to generate the smallest tax burden for them. Estate planning can minimize estate taxes and state inheritance taxes.
Avoid fighting and headaches in the family. No one wants fighting when a loved one dies. There might be siblings who might think they deserve much more than the other children. The other siblings might also believe that they should be given the charge for financial matters, despite the fact that they aren’t good with debts and finances. These types of disagreements can get ugly and lead to court.
Also, the heirs may want their inheritance very quickly. Even with harmonious families, having no Will or going through Probate will delay the distribution significantly.
Sit down with experienced estate planning attorneys like Rudy, Jay, and Caroline and let them help you through the process.
Here’s some information from the Beck, Lenox & Stolzer website that reinforces what was provided with this article: https://beckelderlaw.com/estate-planning/wills-and-trusts/
Reference: The Legal Reader (May 10, 2021) “The Importance of Estate Planning”
